furniture

I’m mostly German, but my husband has Scandinavian in his blood, and as I began looking around at ideas for our guest room, I kept coming back to the simple, clean lines and white, with touches of red that I found online. Here’s the board I started.

It was such an antidote to the conglomeration of leftovers that had been put in there.

You know how it is. You have a room. It needs stuff. So you grab what you have and throw it together. There’s no shame in that – that’s life!

But after several years of beige walls and mismatched furniture, it was time for a change.

Here’s the BEFORE tour.

Doesn’t exactly scream, “welcome to our house! relax!”

So I went to work.

First, time to lose the beige walls. I went for Nano White from the Home Decorators paint collection at the Home Depot.

Since I was doing this room on a budget, I found a headboard on Craigslist. It was bad 60’s brown, fake wood, and the perfect candidate to paint a nice semi-gloss black.

For the remaining furniture, besides the bed, I shopped from around the house, or bought second-hand. I used an old pair of end tables that used to be in my living room two houses ago, as the nightstands. As luck would have it, they were already black.

The antique dresser was handed down from my husband’s aunt and uncle. The mirror used to be in our dining room, in our last house.

I picked up the vintage wood luggage rack at a flea market for about $20, and found a small bench at the World’s Longest Yard Sale for $6. Both needed a makeover to fit into the black, white, and red color scheme.

I picked up the great suzani fabric from Online Fabric Store a while back, and had enough to make the two curtain panels as well as cover the small bench seat.

I gave the mismatched picture frames a cohesive coat of black paint. and got some black curtain tiebacks.

For the bedding, I reused a plain white quilt I had. I found some red striped sheets at HomeGoods, as well as the map throw pillow. I used a needle and thread to add a small heart over our hometown. The grain sack pillows were a find from the Country Living fair in Columbus, OH, last year. (Highly recommend going sometime – great stuff!) I also found a red throw blanket on clearance at Pottery Barn.

The bed skirt I found at Target on clearance, and it was about an inch or so too long, so it was bunching up on the floor. I put it on the bed, and pinned to where it needed to be hemmed, then did a simple straight stitch all the way around with my sewing machine.

Now for the finishing touches. I had a piece of reclaimed lumber that someone had given me. I painted a little message for our guests on it, added a sawtooth hanger to the back and hung it up. I also grabbed a set of wall hooks from the home improvement store, so people have somewhere to hang their purse, hat, keys, whatever. I hung both over the painted luggage rack.

Also from the Country Living fair, came this adorable little tin with a chalkboard inside. I put our wi-fi info on it and hung it up.

The walls still needed a little something so I pulled out a great, neutral boat pic that I’ve had forever, and hung it opposite the bed.

OK…Are you ready for the AFTER tour? Let’s do it!

One last word on pulling this room together. Picking out lighting, bedding, decorative touches, and fabric took me over a year, easily. Did I get frustrated that making this room over was taking SO LONG? Sometimes. But I live in the real world. I do what I can, when I can, with as much DIY and fiscal sense as I can. That’s how we roll. It’s easy to go online and see a reveal post, and think the process is faster or easier for other people. Making things better, making them beautiful takes time, money, and energy. What combination of those things it takes will be a little different for everyone. I’ve learned to be OK with that.

We’ve had several friends and family members stay here since the makeover, and all have slept well. So I’m calling the room a success. Thanks so much for stopping by!

Hey everyone!
Hope you all had a great week. I am in the midst of training for a half marathon in a few weeks and I had my 8 mile run today. Oh. Dear.
I am exhausted and my whole body hurts so I am writing this post from my couch with a glass of wine.

So to distract myself from the ache in my muscles let’s talk furniture!
I had some fun working on these chairs for a great client this week.

She has fantastic taste and decided on a wide navy striped fabric from Premier Prints for the upholstery, and an espresso stain on the wood.

Once I took the backs off, she and I both decided we liked the chairs better with no back cushion! So we left it off. (We’re crazy like that.)

It’s got very pretty legs, known as “barley twist” which is something I’d never heard of before Heather said she liked that style of furniture. You’ve got expensive taste, girl, because everything I found that was called “barley twist” had several zeros behind the list price! This little gal is only $45, and would make a charming addition to a guest room or family room. It’s been painted a bright white, and looks like it’s lightly distressed. Hope you like it, Heather!

3. What a great deal on a bright chair! It could be the fact that I’m plotting a redo of my guest room in red and white, and this chair would be perfect, but I just think this is so cute!

It’s currently on the Pier1 website for $80, so this, my friends, is a true steal!Put it in your entry (like this one) for an instant pick-me-up.

4. Maybe you have an old light fixture you want to switch out. I think this wicker pendant is adorable, and they are everywhere right now.

Remodelista compared some higher and lower end lights, but even the “steals” out there are no match for the $20 price tag on the Craigslist find! I love the idea of hanging it over the living area like this.

5. I don’t yet own any campaign-style furniture, but I sure would love to, one day. And if you would, too, then I suggest scooping up this coffee table for $20.

You can clean it up, and use it as-is. It comes with a glass top, too, which is super nice and prevents you from worrying about spills, etc.And, you’ll get the look of this coffee table, which retails for almost $3000. Yes, there are three zeros in that price tag.

Or you could paint it a bright color, in a lacquer finish, and have a showstopper.

So there you have it. My picks for you crafty, thrifty, awesome Texans out there. And here’s the disclaimer I always feel the need to include in my Craigslist posts. I’ve been buying and selling from Craigslist for years. I have yet to have a problem. I always use my common sense. Take a friend or relative with you (especially the large, male type if you have one.) If a piece is small enough, you can ask to meet in a public spot, like a well-lit grocery store parking lot. Be careful. Be safe. And have fun.

I recently had a classmate from high school contact me. She was expecting her first baby, and had a rocking chair she wanted refinished. This is what it looked like when I got it. It looked like someone had previously stripped it. So it needed a good sanding before I could get started.

It has this beautiful carved detail on the back, but the carvings are not in wood. It looked like plaster, or something similar, and had cracks throughout. I didn’t worry too much about the cracks. I think it added to the charm of this piece.

I think there have been a lot of babies rocked in this chair. It was passed down through my client’s husband’s family.

My client/classmate was not finding out the baby’s gender, and wanted a bright, bold color that would work for either a boy or a girl.We decided to go for a color like Annie Sloan’s Emperor’s Silk. It’s been a long time since I painted anything red. In fact, it had been long enough that I had somewhat forgotten (OK, really completely forgotten) how HARD red can be! I wanted to give my local Sherwin Williams a shot. So I chose SW Positive Red in their All Surface Enamel (Acrylic Latex in Satin finish).Here’s what it looked like at first. Uh Oh. Someone forgot to get a tinted primer.

Hi Ho, Hi Ho, it’s off to the paint counter I go.One can of pink primer later (they tinted it as dark as they could – thank you to my trusty old Home Depot paint folks) things were looking better. You can see where I added the primer, on the right side. On the left, you can see how transparent the red went on. Yikes.

In order to achieve the deep, rich red in this paint, the base has to be translucent. Which means the paint is not opaque. Which means you have to keep adding coats, and adding coats, and adding coats.

Which is exactly what I did.So… 17 coats of red paint later…..

Positive Red was actually looking positively great.I wish I could tell you there was some other way. I can’t speak to other kinds of paint (AS Chalk Paint, etc.) but for regular old latex, that is what you can expect.LOTS of coats.

I added a coat of wax when I felt the color was even enough. And here we are.Now, for the glamour shots.

I foresee many, many snuggles happening in this chair.

There is something special about the things passed down.Thank you to my client Jessica for trusting me with this piece.And best wishes for that little one!

This is ridiculous. It’s been so cold for so long, I think I’ve actually given up hope that Spring will ever come. So, let’s think about things that are more fun. Like furniture. And paint. And painting furniture.

Oui, oui! So cute.But what if you need it for a boy’s room? Swap out the hardware for something less frilly and go dark and numbered like this one.

2. Midcentury stuff isn’t for everyone. But in small doses, it can really wake up a room and make it look contemporary…the stuff is wildly popular right now. (Because of things like Exhibit A, this gorgeously staged black number from Natty by Design)

For those not sure they love it, here’s about the smallest furniture investment you can make and still get the look…a $20 desk.

I love a $20 desk, people.This one is small enough that it will never overwhelm a space and its clean lines make it great for kids or grown ups, boys or girls.As it turns out, Natty by Design has a knack for making awesome midcentury desks over.Exhibit B.

Nuff said.

3. This is a great set of furniture for $150! Classic lines, and “good construction.” can’t ask for much more than that. (And it must be the week of the lingerie dressers)

I love a hutch. It makes great use of vertical space without the need to install shelves. If this set looks as good in person as it does here, I’d go for it in a second. Don’t just think you have to leave it in the bedroom, either. I LOVE the woman who put a set, almost identical to this, in her craft room. Here’s a peek.

Ack!! Look at how awesome that is!And check out the rest of the board for more pics of the room, including a black and white settee. Be still, my heart…

4. It’s not often I can show you a virtual before and after with two identical items (found separately – the internet is an amazing thing sometimes.)

I especially love the curved wood on the phone stand part and the wavy slats on the chair back. This one is $60.If someone is interested in trying their hand at a furniture project, I think this is a great place to start. You can easily recover the seat and wa-la… have something like this!

How cool is that?!

5. Find artists and people who love furniture as much as I do. I’m seeing more and more pieces that have already been transformed, listed on CL.Since I do very few pieces that don’t already have an owner or buyer, I think you should check them out.People are getting out there, getting their hands dirty and saving pieces of furniture and they should be supported! Just my two cents. Here are a few pretty finds I love.

If you’re interested in finding a piece already done, search for things like, “painted” “upcycled” “restored” “vintage” “distressed” “waxed” or “refinished”. And remember, if you have a smartphone, use it to set up a search for those words, both in the Furniture and Antique categories, on a Craigslist app. It will alert you when there’s a match. I find the app to be a great tool to help navigate a sometimes not-so-user-friendly, or organized, website.

That’s all for this week. I hope you are staying warm and safe.

Have a great week!

XO,Anne

PS – I’d love it if you shared this post wherever you are active online. Thanks!

Hi friends!I was supposed to deliver some long overdue furniture this week.

(it’s not photographing very well but the hardware is purple)

So, the cute desk with the purple hardware is still in my basement much to my – and my husband’s – chagrin because Mother Nature and my schedule are conspiring against me. (snow outside as I write this) Sigh.

I’ve run 27 miles on the treadmill at the gym in the last two weeks because running and painting furniture are my two quickest paths to sanity. Especially in January. (Napping is a close third)So, here’s my picks to help keep you sane this week! 1. I’ll start off with the biggest ticket item. It’s $350. But before you pass, take a look at what you get for the money. A LOT.

The rugs are not included (fine with me) but check out this lot. Tall dresser, short dresser with mirror, headboard, footboard, and two matching end tables. This is like the holy grail of Craigslist furniture.Amazing! If you need bedroom furniture for a girl, this is it buddy. RUN.Think you’re not a fan of French Provinicial? Think again.Forget all the white sets (I’m not even putting a picture in here because you know what they look like anyway). And take a step or four out of your comfort zone with fantastic options like these:

It’s almost the end of the year. Hard to believe. And there seems to be a lot of people who have things they want to get rid of, because Craigslist has been smokin’ hot this week!I’ll get right to it.1. This settee. $60

I know I’ve included settees before on the blog, and explained why, so I won’t do that again, but I included this piece for a different reason (besides the fact that I just plain like it – excellent lines and very pretty wood carvings on the back.)If you look carefully at the post, you might notice that the seller spelled settee wrong. I’m not trying to harp on anyone’s grammar or spelling, because that’s not why I’m here, but I point it out to you to because it may hurt the seller’s chances of finding a buyer. If someone is indeed searching for a settee, they very well may not find this listing. That may mean you have an advantage as a buyer. And likewise, if you’re selling, use spell check! (This goes for eBay, too.)2. This vanity… is awesome. It is so so so pretty. And $50!!

You’d need to reconstruct the seat, but it would be equally as lovely in a grown woman’s room as it would in a little girl’s. I love how petite looking it is and just classic with beautiful hardware and those vintage casters.And here’s a little secret – I did actually buy it on Craigslist this week this for someone special! (I’ll share more later on that)My Dad and I are going to refinish it for my sister for her birthday in March! I’m already looking at finish options.White with a dark stained top?

Or red? I’m getting ready to buy a quart of Annie Sloan Emperor’s Silk which would be gorgeous…and my sister is the “red” girl so she would love this.

Lots of fun. My parents and I sort of raced over to the seller’s house because he said he had someone else coming to look at it. No way was I letting this one get away. Can’t wait to get started on it.3. This is something I haven’t seen before. It looks like an old table that would have been in a hospital, perhaps?

So cool! Or you could give your child who is studying an instrument a place to put his or her sheet music. It’s just a great conversation piece. They’re asking $100.4. Here’s a piece that has an issue.

It’s an awesome old dresser but it’s missing a drawer. What to do?For $75 here’s what you do. Buy it. And then you get creative.Like this piece from Sweet Pickins

Of course, it’s Pottery Barn Teen and a gazillion dollars. *eye roll* Nonetheless, this is sort of a dream project for me. I would love to put this in my daughter’s room, which is the smallest bedroom in our house, where floor space is at a premium.So when I saw these on Craigslist, you can imagine…the wheels started turning.

For $100 you could do so much with these!! They would work equally as well for either a boy or a girl.And they are solid wood. Amazing. You just don’t run across stuff like this every day. I just don’t know if I can take on a project of this size right now……hmm….That’s it for 2013!Thank you for sharing part of your lives with me here, even if it is just a little bit.I feel blessed and lucky to do what I love.May health and happiness be yours in the New Year.XO,AnnePS – As always, if you buy from Craigslist be careful and take a friend with you. I can’t vouch for these sellers or their items. If you end up buying any of these, please let me know!

You cannot go wrong with a classic like this. Ballard Designs has a gorgeous option that will run you $1000. So the seller’s asking price of about $200 seems like a good deal to me!

2. The gift of a dollhouse is timeless and what little girl wouldn’t love a house like this one?

It does say it needs some work, but isn’t that what January is for? A good project to pass the time… For $80, I just love this.

3. I’ve shown you chairs like these before, but as I have also mentioned in the past, finding things in pairs can be especially difficult if you are buying secondhand. And things in pairs can be especially helpful when it comes to decorating and staging your living spaces. Symmetry is your friend.So GRAB these for $35 and run.

And you are already imagining them with new upholstery, aren’t you? This Etsy seller did a fantastic job.

It is beautiful in its spare design… so unfussy. Great in a foyer or bedroom or hallway if you have room.

What about using this at your kitchen table for a change? Just a thought.For the life of me I cannot find a good photo of a room where someone has done this, but I think it would be really great looking.5. What fun is this table?

We put our crack team of investigators here on the case to find out what this is, and in case you didn’t already guess, it is a sewing machine table. According to this woman, who also found one,

it dates back to the 1890’s. Very cool. And so striking with the cast iron bottom.

No sewing machine included in the one for sale now, and as you can see the pedal at the bottom is missing, as is the original cabinet on top, but the stand alone I think is worth the $65 the seller is asking.

It has been such a busy week here – husband traveling, kids off school for Columbus Day and a teacher in-service day, and we have determined that we are hosting Thanksgiving, complete with family members flying in from the West Coast. Woo hoo!

So I am getting myself in gear for some serious home improvement work to be done between now and Turkey Day. Work has not slowed down for me, either (for which I am so grateful)!

This week I worked on a good friend’s nursery. She just welcomed twin boys and as they are still too small to come home, it was the perfect chance to make good on my offer to paint their initials on the wall over their cribs. Here’s a peek:

Such a cute room. Can’t wait to show it to you!

Now onto this weeks finds.I have hosting company on the brain. I think that probably will explain some of my choices.

1. A Murphy Bed. You know, the kind of bed that folds up against the wall when you’re not using it?These things are so cool. AND save a ton of space. And I have a hunch that at $100 this one is a steal.It is described as a restoration project (and the pic is dark), so you’d have to investigate a little and see what kind of shape it is in, structurally. But I love it!

Bring on the guests!2. This totally beautiful table – such an unusual shape! There is a tiny repair that needs to be done, but it is so unique. Worth $75 if you ask me.

I’d love to see it with a scalloped bracket on top to mimic the shape, and a pretty initial in the center.

So pretty!

3. You could also give your dining room a little pick-me-up if you’re hosting this Thanksgiving. I doesn’t have to cost tons. Maybe switch out your two captain’s chairs for something different.These are great and they are practically free.

Chairs like these are SO easy to recover. Turn it over. Grab a screwdriver or drill. Unscrew the seat.Get 1/2 yard of fabric. Pull it around the edges tightly. Staple. This is not brain surgery, people! Chair seats like these are the perfect place to do a little bit bolder or brighter color or pattern. There’s almost no commitment. If you don’t like it next year, take it off and put something completely different on.This project shared on Hometalk is a perfect example.Here’s the before:

I’m thinking about doing just that in my daughter’s room – we would like to add a trundle underneath for sleepovers. I have to be honest. I want to paint whatever daybed goes in my daughter’s room, but this one is killing me because it’s cherry. Ugh. Have to think on that one….. But rooms like this from Just A Girl are so pretty. (bonus on this post – she painted that awesome tree on her daughter’s wall!)

Hi there!It has been an absolutely gorgeous week here in the Cincinnati area. For that I am truly grateful.I hope fall is being kind to you, wherever you may be.Let’s dig right in, shall we?1. A $100 set of brown leather chairs that looks like they’re brand new.

These are timeless, and a steal at this price. Put them in a living room with the fireplace and a soft throw… heaven.

Clean lines, great color, not childish at all, but kid-friendly nonetheless. And hello… It’s $5!!4. This great secretary.

Oh, you thought it was just a drawer? Nope. This listing is just a victim of poor photo placement. And I bet 186 other people skipped right by it, which is unfortunate because THIS is the great secretary, and it’s $30.

The height makes it great for using the vertical space, and there are shelves and drawers all ready to store your things. Takes that room up three notches instantly.5. This fun little bar cart.

I think this is adorable. $50 may be a little high in my totally uninformed opinion.Use it in the kitchen or on your porch to hold flowers and offer somewhere to sit your coffee cup(and this one even got a monogram!)

When you’re entertaining, open the sides and you have an instant (rolling) mini-buffet.

Or better yet, tie aprons on your kids, load some goodies on this thing, and have them play waiter or waitress when Grandma and Grandpa come over. So there you have it. And as always, if you buy from Craigslist, be smart, be safe, and for Pete’s sake, let me know what you got!XO,Anne